Flushing-tank.



H. HARTMANN.

PLUSHING TANK. APPLICATION FILED JULY 31,1909.

1,030,174. I Patented June 18,1912.

tlhll HUGO HARTMANN, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

FLUSI-IING-TANK.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented June 18, 1912.

Application filed July 31, 1909. Serial No. 510,547.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HUGO HARTMANN, a subject of the Emperor of Germany,residing in Berlin, Germany, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Flushing-Tanks, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of my invention is to provide a flush tank wherein the outletor discharge opening is closed by a ball-valve which, when the tank isfilled, is held in position on the outlet opening by the pressure ofWater on the valve, but which when moved slightly to one side of theoutlet opening, rises to the top of the water in the tank and floatsthereon until the tank has emptied, when it automatically seats itselfat the outlet opening and permits the tank to fill.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows a vertical central sectionthrough a flush tank embodying my improvement with the ball-valveseated. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the ball valve floating and thedischarge opening of the tank open and Fig. 3 shows a vertical sectionon the line 11 of Fig. 1.

The tank a is oblong or of a general rectangular shape, as indicated inFigs. 1 and 3, the bottom of the tank sloping from all sides to thedischarge opening above the discharge pipe h. The tank is preferablyprovided with a cover a and the discharge pipe h is connected by meansof a pipe f with the upperpart of the tank above the normal water leveltherein. Water is admitted to the tank by means of a supply pipe 0having a ball cock d operated by afloat 6. These water supply devicesoperate in the usual way, water being supplied to fill the tank to thelevel indicated below the mouth of the pipe f in the tank, which pipe facts as an overflow pipe should too much water be admitted, but thispipe also acts to convey air from the pipe it to the top of the tankshould there be air pressure in said outlet pipe h. The ball 9 may bemade of any suitable material, such as india rubber, metal or wood. Itis adapted to float to the top of the water in the tank when not held inplace by a column of water above the discharge pipe, but its specificgravity is such that it is held in place on the discharge pipe by thecolumn above it when the tank is full.

is indicates a pusher operated by a lever Z connected with a rod orchain at and actuated in the manner indicated. The pusher has aninclined surface next the ball, as in dicated, and when the pusher ismoved inward it operates to slightly lift the ball and also to move itto one side in such manner that the ball will be free from the pressureof the column of water above it and will rise to the upper part of thetank and float on the top of the water. If the ball were movedvertically upward or were not pushed to one side in the manner stated,the downward rush of the water would tend to return the ball to itsseat.

It will be understood that after the tank has been emptied thebalhg-will automatically roll onto the valve-seat and close the openingtherethrough. The float 6 having fallen, water is admitted through theballcock (Z and continues to flow into the tank until the proper waterlevel has been reached, when the cock is automatically closed. Duringthe filling of the tank the ball is held on its seat by the hydrostaticpressure and by reason of the fact that there is no rush or flow ofwater beneath it to make it rise. When the pusher is operated the ballis moved slightly upward and also sidewise, water then flows through thedischarge opening but as the ball has been pushed diagonally sidewiseand upward away from the opening, it is not drawn back to the valveseatbut rises to the top of the tank, as shown in Fig. 2.

It will be observed that the tank is not round or circular in crosssection, but is oblong. This is an important feature of the inventionbecause if the tank were made round, a whirling action would be producedin the tank around the discharge opening as a center which would preventthe ball fromrising and floating in the manner indicated. Where the tankis made rectangular or oblong in cross section this whirling action isprevented.

I claim as my invention:

The combination of a flush tank having an outlet leading from the bottomthereof, such outlet being formed with a valve seat, and all portions ofthe bottom of the tank sloping downwardly toward said seat, a freebuoyant ball valve within the tank adapted to be held on said seat byhydrostatic pressure of water in the tank and also capable of floatingin such water after removal from said seat, and a pusher mow able.within the tank horizontally above the valve seat and having an endoperative V In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my afiainst one sideof saiil ball valiye at a point hand in the presence of two Witnesses.

a ove its seat to pry tie valve r0111 its seat by a'movement of thevalve diagonally in a HUGO HARTMANN' direction upwardly and laterallyand caus- Witnesses:

ing the buoyant Valve to rise at one side of WOLDEMAR HAUPT,

the tank. HENRY HAsPER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. a

